Archive for July, 2010

Female mosquitoes have been “tricked” into not laying their eggs by University of Haifa researchers, who have isolated the natural chemicals released by their enemies that serve as a warning signal that reproducing is too dangerous. Described by the scientists as a “breakthrough,” the discovery will soon be published in the prestigious journal Ecology Letters. The technique may prove to be an effective way of fighting mosquitoes without using pesticides.

A scientific breakthrough might assist in the fight against mosquitoes. New research carried out at the University of Haifa in collaboration with researchers from other universities has chemically identified, for the first time, compounds released by mosquitoes’ natural aquatic predators that function as warning signals for egg laying mosquitoes. Introducing these natural chemicals into mosquito breeding sites will cause the mosquitoes to sense risk of predation to their progeny and avoid laying their eggs there. These findings will soon be published in the prestigious journal Ecology Letters. Continue Reading »

At a recent International Geography Conference in Tel Aviv, Deborah Cvikel of the University of Haifa’s Recanti Institute of Maritime Studies unveiled her latest work on 19th-century naval battles off Acre. In the course of her study she had carried out groundbreaking research, alongside Dr. Ya’acov Kahanov, on a shipwreck inside the ancient harbor of Acre. It is postulated that this wreck may be related to the naval bombardments by the Egyptians in 1831 or British in 1840.

An evening honoring academic excellence hosted guest of honor Prof. Avishay Braverman Minister of Minorities Affairs. The festive event displayed outstanding centers of excellence at the University, including the Cognitive Neuroscience Program; the Department of Learning Disabilities and Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities; Marine Geophysics in the Dr. Moses Strauss Department of Marine Geosciences; the European Master’s Program in Law and Economics; and much more. The evening was emceed by Dr. Michael Lazar of the Department of Marine Geosciences, representing the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

The official festive opening of the 38th Meeting of the Board of Governors was highlighted with the conferment of the Outstanding Leadership Award to President of the State of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres. The University also awarded six honorary doctorate degrees, to: Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Dr. Albert Lincoln, Dr. Francis Gurry, Mrs. Ruth Dayan, Shaykh Mowafak Tarif and Mr. Paul Amir.

The five Israeli competitors came home from the competition in Kazakhstan last week with one silver medal, one bronze and two honorable mentions.

Prof. Shay Gueron, from the Mathematics Department of the University of Haifa, has headed the Israeli delegation for 17 years, selecting its members and readying them for competition. The first round of selection, which is open to all, had 1,600 hopefuls from around the country. The top achievers in statewide contests are invited to attend training camps and workshops. They are given study material and submit work in order to vie for a spot on the team.

The only program of its kind in Israel, the Department of Art History’s “Psychodaly” prepares undergraduate students in the Faculty of Humanities to become art therapists. This multidisciplinary B.A. program qualifies students for the graduate program in art therapy within two years. From 13 participants in 2007, the program has almost tripled in size, attracting top Israeli students from all walks of life. The success of “Psychodaly” is rooted in its academic excellence and professionalism.

Recognizing the important developments in the international legal arena has always been a top priority for Israel’s law fraternity. The University of Haifa has become the European Union’s only Action 3 Partner of the European Master Program in Law and Economics. The University, along with the Erasmus Mundus Grants for European Students, allocates grants to ten European students who study their third term at the University of Haifa each year. Ten Israeli students are admitted to the program annually and are integrated into senior positions in academia and practice once they graduate. Other programs at the Faculty of Law include a joint Ph.D. in law and economics, where law and economics students from around the world are invited to complete a doctorate in collaboration with several univerisitites.

In the highly demanding and overcrowded Israeli education system, it is easier than one might think to get lost and overlooked. The Faculty of Education’s Department of Learning Disabilities at the University of Haifa was established in recognition of the needs of a significant section of the school-going population who were overlooked, labeled incompetent and mistakenly found themselves in the academic no-man’s-land. It is now accepted that with the right kind of help, these individuals can fully contribute to society and can achieve greater personal fulfillment and a higher quality of life. With several senior faculty members recognized as world leaders in their fields, the Department of Learning Disabilities is one of the leading learning disability research centers in the world.